Aeroplane-tail



Patented Jan. 18, 1921 2 SHEETS-SHEET .I/ll/IIIIA l. M. KROWKA.AEHOPLANE TAIL. APPLICAIION FILED MAY 21. 1919.

J. M. KROWKA.

AEROPLANE TAIL.

APPLICATION mu) MAY 27.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. KROWKA, OF GEORGE WEST, TEXAS.

AEROPLANE-TAIL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

Application filed May 27, 1919. Serial No. 300,168.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr M. KROWKA, a citizen of the UnitedStates,.residing at George West, in the county of Live Oak and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane-Tails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention has reference to aeroplanes, and it refers in particularto a novel construction of the aeroplane tail, and of the aeroplanebody, and to the way of connecting theseparts with each other and to theseat of the aviator, and it is one of the chief objects of my inventionto provide a tail construction which may be utilized as a self-governingmeans to direct and to control the flight of any suitable heavy body, aprojectile or the like which is projected through the air, and which,when used in connection with an aeroplane under the control of anaviator is eas of operation, and the different positions of which willnot influence the equilibrium of the aeroplane and of the seat of theaviator. It is a further object of my invention to devise a novelcombination of a horizontalwith a vertical tail surface, and also todevise means whereby the body of the aeroplane may be caused to moveindependently of the tail surfaces, and in a certain mannerindependently of the weight suspended therefrom or carried thereby, andwithout interfering wlth the perfectly perpendicular position of thelatter. I j

Other objects and advantages of my nvention not speciallyenumeratedherewith will be apparent from the following specification and from thedrawings showing an aeroplane as an instance to which my invention maybeapplied.

In the drawin s :Figure 1 is a longitudinal section 0 in accordance withmy invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a section ofFig. 1 on the line 3'-3; Fig. 4 1s a section of Fig. 1 on the line 4-4;Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 5-45 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 ia detail underneath view of the controlling disk for the vertical tail;Fig. 7 is a detail of the means for locking the controlling disk inrotary adjustment Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrams to be referred to.

an aeroplane constructed.

1 is a horizontal and 2 is a substantially vertical tail. 3 is a barpreferabl arranged between the broader part 1 and t e reduced part 1. ofthe horizontal tail and secured to the same. 7 is a vertical pivotmounted on said bar 3 and constituting the rotating center for'thevertical tail 2. 5 is a vertical frame secured to the bar '3, andpreferably containing the operating means for the horizontal tail. Thebar 3 1s provided with lateral projections extendin beyond the tail andto which the vertical frame 5 is secured. Between the frame 5, andpreferably between the broader part 1 and the reduced part 1 of thehorizontal tail collars or the like 29 are arranged which are providedwith hinges 4, and to which the body part 8 of the aeroplane is hingedlyconnected. 9 is a rotatable shaft mounted in suitable hearings in thefront part of the frame or body part Sand connected with the downwardlyextending supporting frame 10 to which a balancing weight is attachedwhich by reason of the transverse shaft 9 being loosely mounted inits-bearings will always assume a perfectly aerpendicular position. In.the construction s iown as an instance in the drawings the aviators seat11 is secured to the support 10 and serves as a weight. The shaft 9projects on both sides of the frame 8, and upon its projecting ends aresecured levers or bars 13 fromwhich rods or cords 141, 15 and 1 1', and15 respectively extend to the upright frame 5 at the rear part of theaeroplane. 33 are guides which may be provided on both sides of the bodyframe 8 and serve for guiding the rods or cords 14, 15, 14, and 15. 12is a handle or the like which in the present instance is preferably ofsemi-cir'cularor similar shape and arranged at one or both sides of theinside of the body part 8 within easy reach of the aviator on the seat11. Cross ties 20 and 10 respectively connect the opposite sides of theframe 8. The cross ties 20 at the forward end of the aeroplane serve forthe mounting of a circular adjusting disk 16 provided with a handle17within easy reach of the operator and preferably situated opposite thesemi-circular handle 12. Rods or cords 18 and 19 or the like connectsaid disk 16 to a cross bar 6 secured by means of braces 30 or otherwiseto the vertical tai12, and at substantially right angles thereto. Bymeans of the rotation of the wheel or disk 16 the vertical tail 2 may berotated on its pivot 7, and adjusted to any desired horizontal angle. Atthe same time the vertical tail in all its adjustments will follow thevertical inclination of the horizontal tail 1 upon which it is mounted.lhe operation of the horizontal tail is effected by means of the seatsupport and the parts associated therewith, which may be shifted bymeans of handles 12 secured to the body frame 8, and preferably arrangedwithin easy reach of the aviator. An arcuate rack bar 24: is arranged inthe lower part of the body frame 8 and below the seat 11 of the aviator,and a locking pin or the like 25 is arranged on said seat 11, andpreferably within easy reach of the foot of the aviator, and may bedepressed to engage with said rack bar 24 so as to lock the seat in acertain angular position with regard to the body frame 8. In theinoperative position the pin 25 is withdrawn from engagement with therack bar 2 1 by an encircling spring. 28 is a suitable propelling deviceof any preferred construction at the front end of the aeroplane, and 32is a plane which may be arranged, if desired, at the front part of thebody frame 8. Bracing wires or cords or the like 26 extend between thehorizontal tail 1 and the bar 3, and similar bracing members 26 extendbetween the tail 1 and the upright supporting frame 5, and similarbracing members 30 are likewise arranged between the sides of the frame5, and between the cross bar 6 and braces 31 of the vertical tail 2 andthe frame 5, and other preferred means not shown in the drawings may beemployed alone or in connection with those shown in the drawing for thepurpose of bracing the parts, and preventing injury by the pressure ofthe wind or from other causes.

By varying the inclination of the body frame 8 with regard to the otherparts of the aeroplane an ascending or downward movement is imparted tothe device. This inclination is produced by the aviator grasping thehandle or the semi-circular bar 12 and rotating said part 8 on itspivots ethereby either raising or lowering his weight relatively to theframe 8. In order to cause the aeroplane to ascend the seat which constitutes the balancing weight of the device is moved to the front bydepressing the front end of the aeroplane, while, when it is desired todescend the seat or weight is moved to the rear by depressing the rearend of the aeroplane by means of the handle 12. Ihis causes thehorizontal tail 1 to rock downwardly on the hinges 4. By inserting thelocking pin 25 between the teeth of the rack 24: the aeroplane is lockedin the adjusted positions for ascent or descent, respectively,

' and by operating the handle 17 and thereby turning the wheel 16 thevertical tail 2 is rotated on its pivoting pin 7 without affecting theinclination of the horizontal tail 1, 1. holes 34: maybe arrangednearthe periphery of the wheel 16 for the insertion of a locking pin 35 forthe purpose of retaining the wheel 16 in the adjusted position, thelocking Dill entering a corresponding hole in one of the cross ties 20.T he wheel 16 is preferably arranged right in the median line of theaeroplane and at the inside of the top cross fr me immediately above thehead of the aviator.

8 illustrates diagrammatically the position of the parts when theaeroplane unexpect dly takes a downward curve, and Fig. 9 illustratesdiagrammatically the position of the parts when the aeroplaneunexpectedly takes an upward curve. In every case the weight or the seatretains its absolutely perpendicular position, and the body part 8 beingpivoted to the seat or weight follows its upward and downward movementwithout affecting the relative angular positions of the combination oftails, so that the tails may be said to be self-adjusting.

This is a point of great importance connected with my invention,inasmuch as by this means the safety of the operator or of the weightcarried in the seat or support 11 is insured, and in view thereof myinvention may be used for automatically control ling the movement ofprojectiles, such as aerial torpedoes for instance which may be providedwith the instrumentalities constituting my invention, the projectile orexplosive taking the place of the weight or seat 11 of the aviator, andby this means an absolutely pilotless aeroplane is produced which isautomatically controlled by the self-governing combination of tails inaccordance with my invention.

Marks or informatory matter relating to the directions of the compass orsimilar information may be provided on the wheel or disk 16, and othermodification and changes may be resorted to in connection with myinvention in order to more successfully adapt the device to varyinglocal conditions, and without deviating from the spirit of my inventionas set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. In an aeroplane, thecombination with a frame, and a horizontal adjustable tail, of aninverted U-shaped frame overlying the tail, a vertically disposed tailincluding trunnions journaled in the U-shaped frame and the horizontallyadjustable tail respectively, and a swinging seat suspended in the framehaving operative connection with the side bars of the U-shaped framewhere upon movement of the seat with respect to the center of gravitythe inclination of the horizontally adjustable tail will be varied.

2. In an aeroplane, the combination with a frame and a horizontaladjustable tail, of a U-shaped frame extending verticall from the tail,a vertically disposed tail aving one end j ournaled upon thehorizontally adjustable tail and its opposite ends journaled in theU-shaped frame, a rock shaft ournaled in the aeroplane frame, bars fixedto the shaft, operative connections between the bars and the verticallegs of the U-shaped frame, and means for moving the shaft axially tochange the lposition of the horizontally adjustable tai 3. In anaerop1ane, a frame, a tail pivoted at one end of the frame to swing on ahorizontal axis, a seat suspended from the top of the frame to swing ona horizontal axls, a longitudinally curved toothed bar mounted upon thebottom of the frame and extending longitudinally thereof, a lockingelement carried by the seat and adapted for engagement with the toothedbar to hold the seat in various angular positions with respect to thecenter of gravity, and operative connections between the seat and tailwhereby to change the relative angle of the latter upon movement of theseat upon its was In testimon whereof I affix my signature in presence 0two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. KROWKA.

Witnesses O. P. SMITH, L. G. WILDEY.

